Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien has been hailed as “the best American writer of his generation” (San Francisco Chronicle). The author of eight books, O’Brien received the National Book Award in Fiction in 1979 for his novel Going After Cacciato.  In 2005, The Things They Carried was named by the New York Times as one of the twenty best books of the last quarter century and was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. The title story was selected by John Updike for inclusion in The Best American Short Stories of the Century.  In the Lake of the Woods, published in 1994, was chosen by Time magazine as the best novel of that year.  O’Brien’s other works include If I Die in a Combat Zone, Northern Lights, Tomcat in Love and July, July.  His short fiction has appeared in numerous journals, including The New Yorker, Atlantic, Esquire, Playboy, and Harper’s. 

Rachel Ankney

Rachel Ankney is from Tampa, Florida; her writings, creations, and babbles marinate, originate, and permeate with/from/of her Gulf coast upbringing.  She talks for a living, but she'd rather be writing for a living, although she is grateful for her career and her work with students.  She has time to write and plenty of material to write about.

Nancy Jolemore holds three degrees from ODU: a BA in Creative Writing, an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in fiction, and an MA in the Teaching of English. She teaches writing online and on the Norfolk campus of TCC. She lives in Norfolk near the Lafayette River with her husband and two of her three kids. She has three grandchildren, one dog, and four cats. She hopes to retire someday, and move to the Eastern Shore, where she plans to get rich writing the great American novel.

Stephen M. Katz was named Newspaper Photographer of the Year (POY) by the prestigious Pictures of the Year International competition in March of 2008. He is currently a staff photographer for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, VA where he has worked since March of 2004.  Katz’s work, shot throughout the United States and in 40 countries - including two war zones - has been published in several magazines and books and has been extensively exhibited.  He has received numerous national and international photography awards, including top honors from the National Press Photographers Association’s (NPPA) Northern Short Course (named POY 2008), Southern Short Course (named POY 2007), The Associated Press and Society of Newspaper Design. In 2008, Katz placed third overall in NPPA’s international Best of Photojournalism competition.  In addition to working for The Pilot, Katz and colleague Chris Tyree created the marketing company WEYO in 2008 which caters specifically to international NGO’s and non-profits.

David Kiracofe

David Kiracofe was born in Norfolk, Virginia.  He was educated in Norfolk Public Schools, attended the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and completed graduate school at the University of Connecticut in 1995.  He has published articles and reviews in professional historical journals and is the author of a biography of Thomas Jefferson titled Thomas Jefferson:  A Public Life, A Private Life.   He is presently working on a biography of the Norfolk-born nineteenth- century historian, Hugh Blair Grigsby.  Since 2005, he has taught classes in American history at the Chesapeake campus of Tidewater Community College.  He lives in his family home in Norfolk with his wife, Dr. Corina Ladd, and son, Daniel.

Yusef Komunyakaa is the author of twelve books of poetry, among them Neon Vernacular: New and Selected Poems, which won the Pulitzer Prize. His Thieves of Paradise and Talking Dirty to the Gods were finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Award and other honors including a Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the William Faulkner Prize from the Université de Rennes, the Hanes Poetry Prize and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. He is Professor and Distinguished Senior Poet at New York University and served as a Chancellor for the Academy of American Poets from 1999 to 2005. His most recent book is Gilgamesh, a verse play (concept and dramaturgy by Chad Gracia). In a new venture, Komunyakaa has exec-produced a music album set to his poetry in collaboration with singer/composer Tomas Doncker. It’s entitled The Mercy Suite and was released March 2009.

Bob Kunzinger

Bob Kunzinger grew up in New York but went to high school in Virginia Beach. He's the author of four books and writes articles for regional and national publications. His essay "Sliced Bread" was listed in Best American Essays 2008 as one of the most notable essays of 2007. His most recent books include Penance and Meanwhile in Leningrad.

During the Literary Festival workshop, TCC student actors will perform a selection or two from the production and Ed Jacob, TCC's Director of Theatre Arts, will discuss the poem, the author, and how he adapted the poem for the stage.  Designers and actors will also be present for a question/answer session.

Sylvie Shapero

Virginia Beach native and TCC graduate Joe Tennis is an award-winning features writer for the Bristol Herald Courier in Bristol, VA, and the author of the critically acclaimed Beach to Bluegrass: Places to Brake on Virginia's Longest Road, a collection of 58 tales along Highway 58 that stretches from Hampton Roads to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  His other works include Southwest Virginia Crossroads: An Almanac of Place Names and Places to See and The Marble and Other Ghost Tales of Tennessee.  He has won more than 25 awards from the Virginia Press Association, Tennessee Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association.

Doug Thiele

Doug Thiele is a poet and lyricist currently teaching English courses on the TCC Chesapeake campus. His musical works range include such disparate examples as music for the Dedication of the Chagall Windows in Jerusalem, performances by the Westmiister Boy's Choir and popular songs recorded by Dolly Parton and others. His poems and short stories have been internationally published. He currently lives in Norfolk with his wife and grandsons.

John Williamson